


you've got stars (they're in your eyes)

by badasskorra



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, Polyamory, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-11-21 14:14:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11359158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badasskorra/pseuds/badasskorra
Summary: it isn't love at first sight; it is more like recognition of a soul you are meant to meet(in which piper works at a coffee shop and wednesday mornings have a new meaning)





	you've got stars (they're in your eyes)

**Author's Note:**

> ive had a terrible headache for the past week so im not a 100% sure this is any good ?? feedback is appreciated ??
> 
> (also im lov nico and pipers nonexistent-in-the-books friendship can you tell)

Piper meets Annabeth Chase one early Wednesday morning when she agreed to take over for Frank because he is sick.

She doesn't have any morning classes that day and hoped to sleep in but her phone ringing at 5:14 am awakened her and disturbed her blissful morning of piece and quiet. She is still half-asleep, her hair a mess, and is setting down the table chairs when a girl around her age with wild blonde hair walks in, or more like - dashes in.

"Good morning," the girl says, a little breathless, startling Piper and causing her to almost drop the chair she is holding. She looks up at the clock. 5:56. They don't open for another four minutes. "Sorry to be an annoyance but my coffee machine broke down and all other coffee shops aren't open yet, but I really need the caffeine."

Piper just stands there throughout her monologue, holding that dumb chair and gaping like a fish.

The first thing she notices about the mysterious girl are her stormy gray eyes, looking a little red like she has stared at a computer screen for too long. Then her eyes move to her curly blonde hair that makes Piper's fingers itch to reach out and untangle the knots but she keeps her hold on the chair, preventing herself from doing something stupid. When Piper's eyes follow the movement of the other girl's lips, she realises she has asked her something and is waiting for an answer.

Piper clears her throat and puts the chair down, wiping her hands on her jeans. "Uh, it's no problem! What can I get you?"

The girl lets out a sigh and smiles (Piper feels her mouth dry and swallows), "Thank you so much, you're a life saver."

"Hey, you're still a paying customer so I don't mind."

Piper is a firm believer that love at first sight is nothing more than a movie trope. So when Annabeth laughs, Piper doesn't feel like she is already 'head over heels' or 'going weak in the knees'; it is more of a 'I don't know you yet, but I think I'd like to' kinda feeling.

When Piper meets Annabeth Chase, it isn't love at first sight; it is more like recognition of a soul you are meant to meet.

 

/

 

Piper's dad, or well, Piper's dad's  _assistant_ (her father being a movie star and all, he didn't have time for these trivial things), told her about soulmates when she around ten and kids in her school were starting to mention  _the one_ and how you were destined to be with them.

Piper wasn't too thrilled when she heard. She believed destiny was what she decides to do and not what some mysterious power thinks she should be doing; though, in reality, all that came later and what her 10-year-old self actually thought was that boys were gross.

So, she is more or less relieved that to this point in her life, no names have appeared upon her skin and she is still able to make decisions on her own. Such as asking Annabeth out.

 

After that one Wednesday morning, Piper asks Jason - their manager, who tries to act tough and like an actual boss but they all know he's secretly a softie - to take over Frank's opening shift, saying she didn't have classes that day anyway and he could use the few extra hours of sleep.

Annabeth stops by the coffee shop every Wednesday for the next three weeks (after the coffee shop's actual opening hours, sometimes not even being the first customer of the day). Every time Piper gives what she hopes is her most charming smile and tries to flirt with her without it being too obvious. Every time Leo - the baker, who's an annoying gremlin but makes mean cookies so Piper tolerates him - comes in for his shift at 7 am, he endlessly teases Piper about her crush after taking one look at the smitten look on her face. Piper lets him and just shakes her head because maybe there won't be 'a big pink wedding with lots of glitter and flowers' but she just might score a cute date with the shop's regular.

Things are going pretty well, in Piper's humble opinion; she's made Annabeth laugh - really laugh, with the whole throwing your head back and snorting coffee up your nose - a few times, even got her number ( _she got her number, Leo, in your face!)_ , but she still hasn't asked her out.

She is just working up the courage to get the words out the sixth Wednesday Annabeth comes in when something gets in the way and stops her. Or rather, someone.

Annebeth's soulmate.

 

/

 

For all the times Piper has talked to (and texted) Annabeth, the girl didn't mention having a soulmate or even dating anybody, only bringing up her friend Percy and his misfortunes (the guy got stabbed while playing Pokemon Go and then went on his merry way to 'catch them all' as if nothing out of the ordinary has happened), but no mentions of a Reyna whatsoever. Also, it being February and everyone wearing three layers of clothing, Piper couldn't check to see if Annabeth had a name anywhere on her skin. Maybe she just had hoped she didn't.

But the facts are these: the next time Annabeth walks in the coffee shop, she has a beautiful woman with a smile so bright it can rival the sun trailing behind her. Piper is so stunned by her beauty that she doesn't register they're holding hands until they arrive at the counter.

"Hi!" Annabeth greets her, like it's any other morning.

"Hey," Piper says, but it sounds more empty than any other morning.

They stand there, staring at each other awkwardly, the air buzzing with tension, until Annabeth clears her throat and gestures towards the girl next to her. "Um, this is Reyna. I think I've mentioned her before?"

It comes out like a question and Piper wants to shake her head no, but then a distant memory pops up in her head, Annabeth talking about a roommate who accidentally took her lucky underwear on the day of an important exam and oh.  _Oh._  Reyna.

And so, Annabeth continues to visit the shop, sometimes even during Piper's afternoon shifts, and Reyna is right there next to her.

And Piper, Piper  _wants._

She knows she was starting to fall in love with Annabeth but then she sees the way Reyna looks at Annabeth, like she helped create the world with her architecture degree and Piper doesn't feel jealousy flow through her veins; it's craving.

She wants Annabeth's loud laughs and deep-in-thought looks; she wants Reyna's sharp edges and soft smiles; she longs for Annabeth's stormy eyes and Reyna's strong arms; she longs for  _the_ m, so different yet so alike.

But now she is certain she can't  _have_ , because people are born with one soulmate and both Annabeth and Reyna have found theirs, have found each other; so Piper is left staring at them with yearning, wishing she could be a part of their lives.

But this is not a fairy tale and there is no fairy godmother to make her wishes come true.

 

/

 

One afternoon Jason corners her while she's taking off her apron, ready to leave.

"So, what's up with Annabeth and Reyna?"

"They're soulmates," Piper replies, refusing to look him in the eyes.

Jason snorts but there's humor in it. "That's not what I meant." She hears some shuffling before he speaks up again.

"You love them." It's not a question.

"I  _don't_ ," Piper answers anyway.

She doesn't, she doesn't, she doesn't.

If she repeats it enough times maybe it will become true.

(She storms off without getting her things.)

 

/

 

Piper doesn't go to work for two weeks, saying it's because she's got a cold and not because she can't bear to face either Annabeth and Reyna nor her overly caring coworkers.

Instead, she wallows in her heartache alone on the couch, locked in her apartment, watching reruns of shows she's seen at least twenty times and eating take-out; she hasn't brushed her teeth nor taken a shower in what seems like forever, and she's hyper-aware of it, yet doesn't move an inch to do anything about it.

She knows what she's doing is childish and she should go out there and face her problems like the adult she is but sometimes, the child in her wins.

(It doesn't take her long to get sick of being alone with her misery though; in moments like these she really wishes she took up Jason's offer of sheltering one of his newborn puppies.)

It takes Piper another week to dig out her phone out of her pile of pizza boxes and tissues (future Piper will be having a joy trying to fix the damage present Piper caused to her diet); fifteen missed calls from Jason, two calls and nine texts from Annabeth, three texts from Leo, and seven calls and one text from Hazel. Piper opens only Hazel's message.

_"piper why aren't you picking up?? jason said you were sick but it's been three weeks."_

_"i'm coming over."_

It was sent ten minutes ago.

It means Hazel's on her way to Piper's apartment right now.

It means Hazel's on her way to Piper's  _pigst_ y right now.

Piper contemplates hiding in her room and just refusing to open the door but then she remembers she's dealing with Hazel who probably wouldn't let a simple wooden door stop her from helping her friends.

She sighs and gets up to at least  _try_ to make it seem like humans inhabit the apartment and not some stray dogs. Piper takes all the boxes from pizza and Chinese food and throws all that fit in the trashcan, the rest she leaves lying around it; she grabs all her blankets and dumps them on her bed, and while she's still in the bedroom she throws on some clothes that don't smell like she just spent three hours in the gym.

Piper's just put on deodorant when she hears the doorbell ring. She's already reached the door as she remembers she hasn't brushed her teeth and curses under her breath (which smells just as bad as you'd think). It being too late for more makeovers, Piper thinks she'd blame it on food should Hazel ask and opens the door.

But it's not Hazel who is standing outside; Piper sees a mop of dark hair and lips screwed up in a frown.

"You look like shit," is the first thing out of Nico's mouth.

"Easy on the compliments, I might think you are flirting with me."

Piper hadn't realised how lonely she's been feeling these past few weeks of sadness and isolation until she has a friendly face standing before her, be that Nico with his quick remarks; she's so happy she could cry.

Nico, seemingly sensing her change in mood, scrunches up his nose in distaste and slides between her and the door, entering her apartment without waiting for an invitation. "So, you're probably wondering why you got the wolf instead of the loving grandma who feeds you cookies," Piper rolls her eyes and finally  closes the door, "but something came up at work and Hazel couldn't make it. Now, tell your fake grandma what's been bothering you," he says as he plops down on the couch and pats the spot next to him.

The situation is so ridiculous that Piper burst out in laughter; but by the time she sits down on the couch all the pent up emotions of the previous months catch up to her and her laughter soon turns into tears, startling Nico and making her feel like a pregnant middle aged woman. He stays there, looking at her uncomfortably, and then starts awkwardly patting her back.

"What's been going on with you, Pipes?" he asks softly, pulling her close and grimacing when he notices her smell. "You know what, you go and take a shower because I don't think you've done that in years, and I'll make something for dinner. That sound good?"

She nods and disentangles herself from him, getting up.

  

After she reemerges from the bathroom, now clean and fully dressed, Nico is putting down a couple of plates on the table.

"Thank the gods you had pasta so I could make spaghetti salad, otherwise we'd be eating paper tissues."

Piper drops down on the couch again and smiles, "Thank you. Both for dinner and coming here in the first place."

Nico scoffs as he hands her a plate. "Don't get mushy with me, your breakdown earlier was enough."

Piper winces and looks away. "Can we pretend that never happened?"

"Gladly. You're not the only one whose reputation is at stake."

"Oh my gods, shut up," she grumbles but there are smiles on both of their faces.

They eat in silence for a while until Nico clears his throat, and Piper guesses it's time for the Big Interrogation. She swallows and puts her plate on the coffee table.

"Who talks first? You talk first, I talk first?" Nico asks, making Piper laugh out loud, breaking the tense silence.

"Star Wars, really?"

Piper sees a smile playing on Nico's lips from the corner of her eye. "Really. Now, back to the topic at hand. The Sad Gay Life of Piper McLean-"

"What the fuck."

"-Care tell why you have been hiding in here for almost a whole month?"

They have an unspoken agreement that whenever Piper is stressed, Nico plays with her hair to calm her down; so without having her ask him to, Nico starts braiding her hair and she tells him everything.

She tells him about the first time Annabeth came to the coffee shop and almost turned Piper into a believer because of her ethereal beauty; she tells him about all of her half-assed attempts at flirting and the time she wrote her number on the wrong cup, receiving a very confused look from the stranger who said he was flattered but also very gay (aren't we all, Piper had replied, or at least  _wanted_  to before hiding behind the counter); she tells him about the day she almost asked Annabeth out but then  _Reyna_ showed up and set the world spinning off-kilter; she tells him how lost she'd felt with her feelings all over the place, wanting to be with the two women but also feeling like she didn't  _belong_ with them, which led to her current situation.

"I-" she can feel tears filling up in her eyes. "I love them," she says but it sounds weak to her ears and she repeats it, more firmly, "I love them _._ And I want it to  _stop_ because I know I can't have them- But I-"

A stray tear escapes and runs down her cheek as she hears a gasp near her right ear.

"Piper, you oblivious dumbass."

She frowns because now, when all she wants is a hug, is really not the time for pointless insults. "Nico, what the hell?"

But instead of replying he grabs her hand and drags her towards the bathroom.

"What is happening?" she turns to look at Nico who appears to be looking for something. After a few minutes of shuffling, he lets out a victorious shout and places a small mirror in her hand. She raises a questioning eyebrow.

Nico is smiling as he says, "Just look in the mirror, the big one behind you."

A little skeptical, Piper does as she's told.

And almost goes into cardiac arrest.

Right there on her neck, with dark ink and two different handwritings, are written the names of her two soulmates. Annabeth and Reyna.

Annabeth and Reyna.

_Annabeth_ and  _Reyna._

"Did you seriously spend a month sulking in your apartment because you were too sad to actually check if they were your soulmates?"

"Oh, shut up." Again, there is a big grin on her face, the tears threatening to spill now tears of happiness.

"Remember when I found Will's name, it was summer and the only time I actually agreed to go to the beach with you guys? And when I took off my shirt, Will let out this really dramatic gasp, and I thought he was just being his usual ass-self, but  _no_ , fate still had plans to publicly embarrass me and it turned out I had his name written on my waist."

Piper lets out a laugh at the memory. "You bolted faster than Leo when Jason learned he broke one of the coffee machines."

They laugh for a while until Piper grows quiet again.

"I- I have to tell them now, right?" she asks softly, fidgeting with her hands.

"I'm surprised you're still in here; you literally just found out the two people you crushed on are  _your soulmate_ s!"

Piper bites her lip nervously. "Yeah, but-"

Nico grabs her shoulders, forcing her to look up in his eyes. "No but's. Weren't you the one who wanted to have full control over their destiny?" At Piper's nod, he continues. "Then why did you even lock yourself up in here instead of grabbing your destiny by its horns and telling it where to go?" He sighs and pats her shoulder, before stepping back. "Now that  _destiny_ proved to be playing on your team, aren't you going help it out a bit? Like, leaving your apartment?"

Piper lets out a bitter laugh. Then, "I fucked up, didn't I?"

"Probably, but who am I to judge?"

"We're the worst," she laughs, throwing her head back and staring at the ceiling. "What day is it today, anyway?"

"Tuesday."

"I have the opening shift tomorrow."

"Congratulations."

She continues as if she didn't hear him, "Maybe Annabeth will come. Reyna too, if I'm really lucky."

"Or you could call them?"

"I have to do this face-to-face!"

"Then  _text_ them to come," his voice sounds distant and she looks down to see him walk towards the kitchen.

Piper makes a face in the mirror and leaves the bathroom.

 

/

 

Piper meets her soulmates one early Wednesday morning when Frank is supposed to be taking over her shift because she is sick.

Annabeth and Reyna are waiting outside the coffee shop, dressed in fluffy winter coats, looking like they want to be anywhere else but here, yet they are  _there,_ all because of Piper. She feels a rush of warmth fill her belly and color her cheeks, and she can't help but the smile that takes over her facial features.

These two beautiful and kind girls are  _her soulmates!_ And Piper spent three weeks hiding away from them because of her doubts and insecurities. She knows they are probably mad at her, and they have every right to be so, but she hopes they can make up sooner and go back to the way things were, with more kissing and cuddling involved, than to have to continue sulking even longer.

"Hi," she waves a little, preparing herself for the inevitable.

"Hey yourself," Annabeth replies; and there is no anger, no bitterness in her voice; just a bright spark in her eyes, as if a sign the storm is over and the clouds will clear.

"McLean." Reyna says then, making Piper turn look at her. She winces; of course they wouldn't let her off so easy.

"How does a blueberry muffin sound?" is what comes out of Reyna's mouth next, but what her eyes say is this:  _we still have a lot to talk about; we may have forgiven you but you still owe us an explanation as to why you left when things got tough_ , and there is an undeniable fondness hidden in them too that makes Piper feel like crying for the third time in two days.

But she shakes that thought away because winter is almost over and spring is about to start, and now is not the time to be moping in the middle of street; it's time for new beginnings, it's time to forgive. It's time to love.

And as Piper stares at Annabeth's now-red from the cold nose, Reyna's open brown eyes, and their tightly clasped hands, she feels nothing but love.

She grins.

"Sounds perfect."

**Author's Note:**

> nothing happened at work; nico sent the texts
> 
> [im nicodamgelo @ tumblr]


End file.
